There are many patents in existence that claim to be a “mobile cooler.” Several patents in the prior art use the words mobile cooler to refer to camping coolers or picnic coolers that are portable or mobile. The myriad of these patents often disclose what is essentially a family picnic cooler enhanced with wheels, handles, tracks, rollers, drive assemblies, or the like. Such inventions do not disclose the use of a larger, mobile refrigeration cooler nor do they disclose the use of an accompanying gasoline generator as an alternative power source.
Other patents in the prior art use the term mobile cooler to refer to a large stationary walk-in cooler used for refrigeration. Such a refrigeration cooler is technically mobile, but only because it can be moved with the aid of a lifting machine. Such a device, although movable, is not easily and readily transportable. For example, coolers manufactured by U.S. Cooler, see http://www.uscooler.com, are walk-in, and are transportable to a location for use, but they are not mobile in the sense that they are on a mobile carriage to be pulled as a trailer behind a vehicle. Neither are they ready for quick and immediate use upon delivery.
Still other patents in the prior art also use the term mobile cooler to refer to a large commercial refrigeration unit for the transportation of perishables, essentially a refrigerated semi-trailer. Such devices, although useful for their intended purposes, do not provide a walk-in cooler, but rather disclose very large transportation units for moving perishables. Additionally, these devices further need a commercial trucking system driver to transport the trailers from place to place.
Many of the refrigeration units in existence are powered by either electricity or by diesel engine power. A need exists for a mobile cooler that can operate independent of any need for an electrical source or a diesel power source.
These and other problems exist. Previous attempts to solve these and other problems include the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,694, issued to Morrow et al. on Oct. 18, 1994, discloses a container cooled by air from a vehicle air conditioning system and especially adapted for use in a commercial van utilized for the delivery of perishable foods over considerable distances.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,100, issued to Gallagher, Jr. on Sep. 19, 1972, discloses a mobile refrigerator shipping container unit adapted for both land and sea shipment has both air-cooled and water-cooled condensers in the refrigeration system with connections which can be quick coupled to ship air exhaust and water circulating systems so that when the container is aboard ship it can utilize the ships systems including power and be relieved from operating on its own self-contained power generator which is operated only when external power is not available as during land transportation aboard a truck trailer or railroad car. The unit has other novel features and controls peculiarly adapted for use in such a container unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,061, issued to Lajeunesse on Aug. 16, 2005, discloses a self-contained, portable, computer operated, light weight, temperature controlled compartment for installation in emergency vehicles has insulated walls and a door. The compartment carries a mechanical refrigeration system having a small compressor for cooling the interior and electrical heating units providing radiant heat to the interior. The heating and cooling units are controlled by a microcomputer and temperature sensor to keep the interior within a desired range of temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,595, issued to Willis on Feb. 19, 1974, discloses a cooling apparatus used within a transportable refrigeration compartment for preserving perishables. The apparatus includes the combination of a heat exchanger having an exit nozzle for producing and discharging a gaseous cooling medium and a venturi-type conduit. The venturi conduit comprises an exit end and a flared inlet end which is aligned longitudinally apart from the heat exchanger exit nozzle and in a predetermined spaced relationship therewith. Gas ambient to the compartment and the cooling medium being ejected from the heat exchanger can be mixed within the flared end, with the tempered mixture being exhausted through the venturi conduit exit end and into the storage compartment. To provide an induced circulation of the tempered mixture throughout the compartment, the venturi conduit flared inlet end and the heat exchanger exit nozzle may be enclosed by a hollow duct having both the front and back walls removed so as to induce an aspiration effect therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,925, issued to Rhoad on Jun. 8, 1976, discloses a portable, self-contained, refrigerated storage and transportation container for preserving perishable commodities includes an insulated storage chamber for the perishable commodities. A recirculating liquid cooling system is provided within the container and includes conduit and nozzle means disposed within the storage chamber adapted to spray a liquid coolant, such as chilled brine, directly onto the perishable commodities to maintain them at a uniform cool temperature. The sprayed liquid coolant is collected in the bottom portion of the storage chamber. A closed refrigeration system is also provided within the container and includes, in part, heat exchange means disposed within the bottom portion of the storage chamber for cooling the sprayed liquid coolant which has collected there.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,218, issued to Cresti on Sep. 14, 1971, discloses an insulated container for perishable goods comprises a pair of convergent passages defined by the upper wall of the container, a pair of convergent passages defined by the lower wall of the container and sets of channels open to the interior of the container formed in the respective sidewalls of the container, the channels extending between the convergent passages. When the container is filled with a load impervious to air, air is circulated through the passages and channels around the load. When the container is filled with a previous load, air is circulated through the channels and passages and passes through the load directly from one set of passages to the other.
Japanese Patent No. 7,151,439 A2, filed by Tadashi et al. and published on Jun. 16, 1995, discloses a refrigerated container for transporting frozen food.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,384, issued to Badalament et al. on Jan. 11, 2000, discloses a mobile container adapted for transporting perishable goods includes a front wall, a rear wall, a pair of side walls extending there between so as to define an elongated enclosure having a longitudinal axis and adapted to receive a cargo load. An air recirculation plenum is defined in the enclosure adjacent to the front wall. A refrigeration system is in fluid communication with the air recirculation plenum and is adapted to induct air at a first temperature and to exhaust air at a second temperature. A pair of air delivery plenums extends from the bulkhead along the length of the enclosure parallel to the longitudinal axis. Each of the pair of air delivery plenums is defined by a corresponding one of the pair of side walls and a plenum wall disposed spaced from the corresponding side wall and extending from the upper margins of the enclosure such that the plenum wall is adapted to be co-extensive and in abutting contact with a portion of the cargo load. The container also includes a source of pressurized air having an inlet in fluid communication with the exhausted air from the refrigeration system and an outlet in fluid communication with the pair of air delivery plenums. A return air plenum is defined between the air delivery plenums such that the cool air is supplied under pressure along the longitudinal length of the enclosure parallel to and adjacent the pair of side walls and then flows through the cargo load in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis into the return air plenum whereafter the air flows substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis back to the air recirculation plenum.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,352, issued to Bared et al. on Mar. 17, 1998, discloses a modular convenience store. The store has a floor and a plurality of walls extending substantially vertically from the floor, which define a perimeter of the store, which has an interior and exterior. This plurality of walls includes a front wall, a rear wall, a left wall, and a right wall. The front wall is less than or equal to sixty feet long. The rear wall is less than or equal to sixty feet long and substantially opposing the front wall. The left wall is less than or equal to fourteen feet long, and the right wall is less than or equal to fourteen feet long and substantially opposing the left wall. A roof covers the interior of the store. A front door is substantially intermediate the front wall, and a rear door is substantially intermediate the rear wall. A walk-in cooler, with an interior, is located within the interior of the store, adjacent the left and rear walls, left of the rear door, and spaced from the front wall. An exterior cooler-service door is provided for passage directly between the exterior of the store and the interior of the cooler. An interior cooler-service door is provided for passage between the interior of the cooler and the interior of the store. The store is assembleable off-site and transportable as a single unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,438, issued to Rhaney et al. on Oct. 5, 1993, discloses a mobile cooler including a compartment having pivotable wheels and a handle assembly for pulling the cooler. A pair of wheel assemblies individually pivots within recesses in the cooler from a raised to a lowered position. In the lowered position the cooler can be transported over smooth or uneven terrain. The handle telescopes partly into the compartment, and partly folds down by a pair of hinges to fit within recesses in the compartment lid. The handle length can be adjusted to suit the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,677, issued to Shustack on Jun. 12, 1990, discloses a mobile cooler having a flexible tank track for moving the cooler over sand or irregular ground surfaces. The track members of the flexible tank track are normally made of rubber and are recessed into the outermost surfaces of the side walls of the insulated container to improve appearance of the cooler and to provide minimum obstruction to other articles when the cooler is stored in trunks or other compartments of automobiles. A retractable cord, attached to a spring loaded pulley recessed into the lower front wall of the cooler, facilitates towing of the cooler from place to place in a picnic area. A vertical leveling slot in each of the front axle supports keeps the track members in maximum contact with the surface of the ground during the towing process. Conventional pivotable handles attached to the front and back walls of the insulated container allow the cooler to be easily lifted or lowered in storing or retrieving the unit from storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,502,656, issued to Weiss et al. on Jan. 7, 2003, discloses a selectively configurable storage container for storing and transporting items through various environments includes a housing having at least one surrounding sidewall and a bottom which defines an enclosure. The storage container also includes a motor with at least one drive assembly. The drive assembly is selectively engagable with a first member, e.g., a wheel, and is configured to move the housing relative to a first terrain, e.g., a floor. The drive assembly is also interchangeable with at least one additional member configured to move the housing relative to a different terrain or environment, e.g., sand, water, grass, etc. A steering control cooperates with the drive assembly to navigate the housing through either the first or the different terrain.
While these patents and other previous methods have attempted to solve the above mentioned problems, none have utilized or disclosed a self-contained mobile walk-in cooler that is comprised of a commercial refrigeration unit, a gasoline generator to provide power to the refrigeration unit when a permanent power source is unavailable, and a mobile carriage for quick and easy transport, as does the present invention.
Therefore, a need exists for a mobile cooler with these attributes and functionalities. The self-contained mobile walk-in cooler according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved mobile coolers which can be used commercially. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills these objectives.
The foregoing patent and other information reflect the state of the art of which the inventor is aware and are tendered with a view toward discharging the inventor's acknowledged duty of candor in disclosing information that may be pertinent to the patentability of the present invention. It is respectfully stipulated, however, that the foregoing patent and other information do not teach or render obvious, singly or when considered in combination, the inventor's claimed invention.